Conveyer and driving mechanism therefor



Dec. 11

4 Sheets-Shea"; 3

Filed Nov. 4, 1922 ti v 314021110 0 F 2 2 9 1 1 1 a e D CONVEYER AND DRIVING MECHANISM THE REFOR Filed Nov.

gnue'nfoz Dec. 11 1923. 4

F. E. ARNDT CONVEYER AND DRIVING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Nov. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet a 76g 1 O "I Patented Dec. 11, 1923;

UNITED STATES PATENT ,oFi-"ics,

FRANKLIN n ARNDT, or GALION, OHIO, Assrenoa 'ro THE demon mon worms 4:

JIFG. 00., OF GALION, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 OHIO.

CONVEYER AND DRIVING MECHAMSM THEREFOR.

Application filed November 4', 1922. Serial No. 599,077.

To all whom, it may concern.

' Be it known that I, FRANKLIN E. Armor, a citizen of the United States, residin at Galion, in the county of Crawford and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyors and Driving Mechanisms Therefor, of which'the following is a specification. I

, his invention relates to conveying" mechanism, and' particularly to certain improvements upon the construction illustrated in my pendin application for patent, Serial No. 546,756, led on March 25, 1922, patented on December 5, 1922, #1,437,581.

In this patent, I disclose an elevator and a conveyer associated therewith for the purpose of conveying coal, crushed stone, sla

gravel or like material from beneath a rai i' road car and elevating the coal or othervmaterial, the conveying mechanism comprising two endless conveyors having outwardly ex tendin "blades moving over the surface of a plate disposed to rest upon the railroad tracks and beneath the bottom of the car.

closed as being driven from driving mechanism disposed bencatlrone end-of the conveyer and within a pit. There was also. disclosed a variant 10f this construction, wherein the driving mechanism was 'disposed above one end of the conveyer instead of below and detaehably connected thereto, but the driving mechanism had to be disconnected from the elevator from which it was driven and also disconnectedfrom the conveyer in order to permit the conveyer to be moved from place to place.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a construction of this character wherein the conveyer is driven from driving mechanism located above one end of the conveyer, thus doing away'witl i the necessity of anypit for the lower .end of the elevator and for the driving mocha nism of the conveyer. A further object is'to provide a drivin mechanism which is operatively' connects to the elevator by such means that thedriving mechanism may be-disconnected from the conveyer and turned back upon the'elevator and moved with the elevator as a unit:

A still further object is to improve the detailspf construction ofthe conveyer and of the driving mechanism and adapt the conveyer to be used with a portable elevator or conveyer mounted on wheels so that they may be shifted from one point to another to thus permit'the apparatus to be conveniently handled and conveniently put in position. Y

Other'objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein igure 1' is a side elevation of In conveyer and coacting elevator, the tree rails being shown in section; a

Figure 2 is a fragmentary to plan view of the construction shown in igure 1;

Figure 3 is a lon itudinal sectional view on the lined-3 of igure 4;

Figure t is a top plan viewof one of the gears associated therewith; In this construction, the conveyer is dis- Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Figures 5 and 6;

F'gure 8 is a section on the line8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the super-" structure of the elevator and a portion of the frame shown in Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the scraper or attachment links.-

The conveyer comprises a steel plate 10 having any desired .area and adapted to extend over and rest upon the rails A of a railroad track and'be shiftable from place to place. This plate 10, as illustrated in Figure 1, is provided, upon'its under side with stops l1 spaced "from each other the gauge of thetrack so as to rest against the inside. faces of the rails and hold the plate PO from shifting after it is put vin position.

-Mounted upon the plate 10 are two con- .veyers, eachhaving an 'endless conveyer chain moving parallel to the upper face of the plate, and having blades which move over the face of the plate and carry the material dumped upon the platetoward the discharge end of the plate. Both of these conveyers are of the same construction,

section which 'is held in place by straps .16

therefore, the description of one will apply to the other. Each conveyer consists of an upper plate 12 and a lower plate 13, these plates being rounded at their ends. These plates are heldspaced from each other by a longitudinally extendin filler block 14 of wood or any othersuita le materialibolts 14. passing through the filler blocks and the two plates and holding the filler blocks in place. I

Extending longitudinally between the two plates and between'the filler blocks is a pipe which embrace the pipe .section and have laterally extending ears through which bolts 17 pass, these bolts passing through the up- I per and lower plates. Thus the pipe section 15 is held rigidly in place between the twoplatesl Inserted into one end ofthe pipe section 15 is a tubular shank 18 formed with a bifurcated yoke 19 at one end; this yoke having a bearing 20. 'I h shank 18 is adapted to telescopically shift within the pipe section 15. Mounted within the bearings 20 is a gudgeon 21, surrounding which is a bushing 22, and rotatably mohnted upon this bushing and within the yoke 19'isa sprocket wheel 23. A'bolt 24 passes through a washer 25 and throu h a slot 26 formed in the upper plate 12 and gudgeon 21 and through a"-"slot 26 in the lower plate 13. The aperture 20 m the upper arm of the bifurcated oke 19 is manysided incross section andtile up, er extremity of the gudgeo'n 21 is many-si ed in cross section and fits this aperture so that the gut!- geon 21 does not turn but the sprocket wheel 23 rotates with reference to this gudgeon.

The strap 16 which is disposed at the adjacent extremity of the pipe section 15, and which is formed with a flange 27 preventing longitudinal movement of the pipe section, is formed on each side'of the pipe section with screw-threaded apertures 28 for the passage of adjusting screws 29. These adjusting screws bear against the head 30 of the yoke 19,-and by this means the yoke, together with the sprocket wheel, may be shifted outward so'as to thereb stretch or tighten the conveyer chain w ich passes around .the sprocket wheel. Apertures 31 are formed in the lower face of the plate 13 whereby access may be hadito the heads of the ad usting screws 29 tract these adjusting screws. I

At the opposite end of the pipe section 15 there is provided a' yoke '32 of the same general character as the yoke 19 having two bearings which are spaced from each other and provided with the two bushings 33. and disposed within the bushings and rotatable therein is the hub'34 of a sprocket wheel 35. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the plate 12 extends sightl --over the hub of the sprocket wheel so t at this sprocket wheel is axially through the to turn up or re held from axial movement. This sprocket .wheel is formed with a central, square passage 36 and the plate 12 is formed with an aperture somewhat larger than and concentrio to the passage 36. v

The endless chain which passes around the sprocket wheels 23 and is made up of a plurality of pivot-ed links 37 and at intervals there are disposed the attachment links 38 formed to provide outwardly extending blades 39. While I do not wish to be limited to the exact shape of these blades, these blades are preferabl made as illustrated in Figure 1 with a so id base 38 forming 'the' link proper,. the upper face of-this base extending downward, the blade 39 having a Hat under face resting upon the baseplate 10, and the upper ,face of the blade being laterally rounded. The object in soforming the blade is to, prevent breaking or grinding soft coal, when this device is used as a-coal conveyer, or for operating on relatively friable materials. The rounded up hind 'it and thus taken off of the pl te 10.

I have found in actual use that the shape of these blades is quite important, particularly where materials like soft coal are to be ham dled, and that this particular shape'of blades prevents the breaking up of the lumps of Soft coal and .the grinding of the particles into dust.

I As before remarked, .there are two conveyers constructed as I have just described, these conveyers resting upon the upper face of the plate '10 and being pivoted at their outer ends to the extension of theplate l0 beyond the tracks so that the conyeyers may be shifted from a divergent position into a parallel position or even into a convergent position. It will be seen that the sprocket Wheels 35 are operated so that the endless conveyers'will be carried in the direction of the arrows in Figure 2 and that the blades will sweep all materials upon the face of the plate toward'the discharge end of the plate.

The materials from the upper face of the plate 10 are discharged into an elevator or conveyor whereby the materials are carried upward for discharge into trucks or into other suitable receptacles, and I have illustrated in connection with the conveyor an elevator mechanism including a supporting frame mounted upon wheels so that it may be readily transported from place to pace, this supporting frame having mechanism "whereby the inclination of the elevator may which passes an endless drive chain 42 wherebythe endless chains of the horizontal conveyers may be driven.

In order to'provide for a detachable. bp-

erative engagement between the horizontal conveyers on the plateand the elevator,

[I provide a substantially rectangular frame formed of longitudinal members 43 connected by transverse members and supported at' its opposite ends by yoke arms 44 extending laterally, in opposite directions from a ho!- low supporting column 45. The lower end of this column is flanged, asat 46, so that the lower,ends of the columns rest upon the upper plates 12 of the two conveyers.v Passing vertically through each column and r0-' tatably mounted in bearings 47 therein is a vertical shaft 48. i The lower end of this shaft is square or many-sided incross sec tion and is larger than the body of the shaft,

and this square portion of the driving shaft .is adapted to be inserted in a square or many-sided socket 36in the sprocket wheel 85. This uared portion 49 of the shaft 15 48 is of suc length that it extends below the plate 13 and is supported in an annular bearing bolted or otherwise attached to he plate 10 and supporting within it a bushing 61. The lower end 49 of the shaft 48 is F" downwardly tapering so' as t6 p m h ready insertion of the shaft within theaperture in sprocket wheel 35. The upper end.

of each shaft 48 carries upon it a beveled gear -wheel 52.-

The members 43 are formed of angle irons bolted to the arms 44 of yokes carried; by the columns 45 and bolted at intervals to the horizontal flanges of the angle irons 48 are angular hangers 53, to which the sec- 41'r tional bearing boxes 54 are bolted, each bearing box having an interior bushing 55' and a lubricating cup 56 formed therewith. Disposed in these bearings and extending longitudinally along the frame formed of 45- the members 43 and the connecting braces is a shaft 57. This shaft, as illustrated, extends beyond the ends of the frame and carries upon it the beveled gear wheels 58 which engage with the beveled gear wheels 50 52 so as to drive the shafts 48. Engaging.

the projecting ends of' the shaft 57 are sleeves 59 having bushings immediately surrounding-the shaft,and provided with the oil or lubricant cup 60. Each of these 65 sleeves is formednvith a'socket'member 61, and inserted betweenboth the socket members and bolted thereto by bolts 62 are the links 63, these links at their endsremote from the int of attachment to the shaft 57 being inserted in socket, members 64 having integral sleeves 65 through which the counter-shaft 40 passes; Thus these links are pivoted to the.shaft 40 concentric to thedriving sprocket wheel 41 and are fltigpivbted -to. the shaft 57 tonoentfibto the driven sprocket wheel 66 thereon, this sprocket wheel 66 being attached at one end of the shaft 57, as illustrated in Figuge 6.

Thus it will be obvious that the frame su porting the shaft 57 is held by these links 63 at all times in proper driving relation to the counter-shaft 40 and that the shafts 48 are thus supported so that the lower ends of 'these shafts may be readily. insert ed in the apertures. or 'sockets- 36 of the sprocket wheels 35 or readily removed therefrom as a' unit and without the necessity of taking off the sprocket chain 42 or in any way disassembling any of the parts of the drive gear. Thus whenit is desired to dis engage the driving gear from the conveyers operating over the plate 10, it is simply necessary to lift upon the links 42, which will raise the shafts 48 from their engagement in the sockets 36,.and then this driving gear supported in the fr'ame 43 may be turned over on top of the elevator and the plate 10 with its conveyers shifted to any desired position and. the elevator shifted to any desired position. After the parts-have been shifted to a new position, it is an easy matter to shift the links 63 over to bring the driving gearing again in proper engagement with the sockets 36 to operate the conveyers over the face of the plate 10.

While I do. not wish to be lmited to the use of the drag conveyer which I have-previously described with any particular form of elevator, I have illustrated the lower portion of an upwardlyinclined elevator or conveyer ofan ordinary type, wherein there areusedilatei al frames 67 supporting the upper and lower flights of the two laterall disposed chains 68 carrying transverse blades. These blades travel over upper and lower troughs 69.- Mounted upon the frame is the counter-shaft 40 previously described,

which carries upon one end a sprocket wheel 7 0 whereby power -is transmitted to the shaft 40 from any suitable source of power, this.

drag convey rsoperating over the plate 10,.

it being obvious'that the links 63 might be mounted upon a counter-shaft or drive shaft 40 of .any suitable elevatingmechanism. The details of the-elevator or conveyer which I particularly design tobe used in connection with the drag conveyer arefully illustrated and described in my PGH-dlllgSflPPllcation for patent, Serial No. 599,078, filed on the 4th day of November, 1922.

ISO

and thus it will be obvious that the convey-" ers may be shifted-from a parallel to an outwardly divergent relation or an outwardly convergent relation, as the circumstances of the case require. Thus, for in-' stance, when the load is first discharged from the ra lway car or other source of supply' onto the plate 10, the drag conveyers may be disposed in a widely divergent relation, and then as the material is conveyedito the elevator and moved from the face ofthe plat'e 10,.the drag conveyers may be shifted toward each other so as to eventually remove every bit of material fromthe face of the plate. \Vhen it is desired to shift the apparatus, the frame supporting the horizontal shaft 57 and the vertical shafts 48 is lifted up so as to lift the portions 49 of the shafts 48 from the sockets and then this frame with the driving gears thereon is shifted over on top of the elevator and then the elevator may be trundled to. the place desired and set up again. The drag conveyers are lifted off of the face of the-plate .10 and carried to the 'new'point of operation and the plate 10 is removed and replaced at its new point of operation. Then-the drag conveyers are laid upon the face of-.the platewith their openings 36coincidipg with the openings in .the plate 10 and then the driving gear unit fis raised from the elevator and brought over so as to'carry the shafts 48 into alignment with the sockets 35 and the shafts are then forced down into these sock-. ets and into the bearings 50 and 51 carried on theunder' side of the plate 10. When ..this .has been accomplishedthe driving mechanism for the elecator is started up,

which, through the chain42, operates; upon the driving mechanism of the drag con vevers t While I do not wishto be limited to any particular means for raising or lowering the driving gear frame 43 around the axis f med by the counter-shaft 40, I have illus-' tr ted a block and tackle mechanism for this purpose. The elevator frame is mounted between uprights 71 connected at their upper ends bya cross piece 72, the lower ends of these uprights being operatively connected to the axles 73- upon which the supvention, to the elevator frame and to this cross beam 75. Thus the elevator frame is mounted for pivotal movement upon the forward ends of the braces 76 and thus the elevator maybe disposed at any 'desired inclination. To this end an elevating yoke, designated generally 77, is connected to the elevator and carries a block 78, while a pulley 79 ismounted on the cross piece 72 at the middle thereof and another pulley 80 is mountedat one end of the cross piece 72. The cable passes from a drum 73 over the pulley 80, thence over the pulley 79, down to andaround the pulley and the block 78, then up over a second pulley 79, and then down to the yoke 77. -Thus it will he obvious that by rotating the-drum 73 in one direction or the other that the elevator will be raised or lowered.

For the purpose ofraising or lowering the frame supportingthe driving shaft 57,- I mount upon one of the frame bars 43 the two pulley blocks 811and 82. A cable 83 is attached to one end of the cross beam 72, then extends downward and around the pulley block 81, then upward to the cross beam and over a pulley 84 attached thereto, then across the cross beam 7 2 to a pulley 85, then down and around the pulley 82, then upward and over a pulley 86 attached to the end of the cross piece 72, andthen down to a drum 87 suitablysupported upon the beam 75 and the adjacent upright 71. This drum is preferably operated by means of a worm shaftv 88 having a crank whereby it may be rotated. Any other suitable means may be used for this purpose; Thus whenever it is desired to detach the driving mechanism from the drag conveyers, the drum 87 is operated to lift the,frume 43 and an operator guides the lower portions of the shafts 49 and the shafts 48 out of the sockets until the shafts are entirely detached from the sockets. The elevator then may be trundled to any desired position and when it is desired to again use the elevator the drum-is turned reversely to permit the unwinding of the cable 83 and the lowering of the links 63 and the frame supporting the driving shaft, the operator guiding the lower ends of the shafts 48 into the sockets in the conveyers in an obvious manner.

It will be noted that the conveyers are separate fromand merely rest upon the plate 10 so that the conveyers may be separately transported to the position desired and the plates separately transported, laid down, the conveyers put in place thereon with the sockets ofthe conveyers immediatelyover the bearings for the-vertical shafts in said plate, then the driving frame lowered to carry the lower ends of the vertical shafts intosaid sockets and bearings, and the mechanism is in position for operation.

The particular advantage of my construction over that illustrated in my latent 1,437, 581 is'that the driving mechanism for thedrag convey'ers is removable as a unit from'engagement with the dra conveyeis' and shiftableas a unit upon t e .elevator frame fortransportation, and that the links which guide and support the driving mechanism for the drag conveyers as it is being shifted hold the sprocket wheels 41- and 66 in properly spaced relation and, therefore, hold the chain 42 taut and do away with the necessity of taking off this chain. a

While Ihave shown a'base plate 10 which is of thin metal, which may be readily re-' moved from place to place, it will be obvious that a platform might be built be tween or on a level with the upper faces of track rails and the conveyers be disposed upon said platform after a car had been run over the platform to the proper discharge point. I consider a permanent platform, therefore, as being broadly the equivalent of a base plate upon which the convevers will operate.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of 'parts which I believe to be preferable, I do not appended claims.

wish to be limited thereto, as these details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the I cla1m': 4 r 1. A- conveyer mechanism including a plate, a pair of endless conveyers operating thereover and'driving means therefor including a pair of shafts having detachable driving engagement each with one of said disposed a ove-the face of the plate having a tubular column adapted to rest-uponflthe face of the plate, and a shaft extend ng through the tubular column and ro ectmg therebeyond and adapted to be etachably engaged in said socket.

3. A conve ing mechanism comprising a plate, anend less conveyer operating over and parallel to the face of the plate and. having outwardl projecting blades and including a rota'ta le driving member having a socket, and means for driving the con porting frame norve. er comprisi a su' mglly disposed sbove t e plate-and having &

a downwardly projecting tubular column adapted to be disposed npon'the conveyer at its lower end, and a shaft extending throughsald column and formed to have 'opelgaive drivingengagement with said soc e 4., A. conveyler mechanism comprising a supporting p to, an endless-conveyer op-' erating thereover and cbmprising upper and lower lates, sprocket wheels rotatably carried tween the ends of said plates, a sprocket chain extending around the s rocket wheels and having .blades, and.

. riving means therefor comprising'a ower operated shaft, the shaft and one 0 said sprocket wheels having detachable operative engagement.

5. A conveyer mechanism comprising a plate, a conveyer operating thereon and comprising upper and lower supporting plates, sprocketv wheels disposed between said plates at the ends thereof, an endlas chain having blades and engaged by' the. sprocket wheels, one of said sprocket wheels havmg a socket and the upper face havin an opening coincident'with said socket, an means for driving the endless conveyereomprisin a supportin member having a holowco umn'adapte to rest upon the upper plate of the conveyer concentric to the openposed' within said column'and projecting eyond the column and havi driving engagement in said soc et.

(LA: conveyer mechanism comprising as plate, a pair of endless eonveyers operating thereover and each including a rotatable member having an axial socket in its up r face, a plate extending over said mem r and havln an opening registering with the socket, an means for driving both of said ..conveyers simultaneously comprising a sup porting frame having tubular columns adapted to rest upon .said last named plate concentric to the opening therein, a power driven shaft mounted in said frame and having beveled gear wheels, and vertical shafts mounted in the frame and carryin coacting beveled gear' wheels. the vert1- cal shafts extending through the hollow columns and below the same and being formed at their lower ends to have driving engagement with said sockets.

D5 ing therein, and a power operated shaft'disl detachable I A conveyer mechanism including a supporting plate, an endless conveyer'carried upon the face of the plate and operating thereon and includin a rotatable element having a socket, driving mechanismtherefor including a structure having a power operated shaft, a rigid link-extending from androtatable around the axis of the power operated shaft, a gear -supporti% frame mounted upon the link remote 0 power 0 erated shaft, a conveyer drive shaft carried! h the frame rand adapted to have m the detachable driving engagement. with said.

rotatable element, and power transmitting mechanism eratively connecting the power operated shaft to the conveyer driving shaft at all times. j

, 8. A conveyor mechanism including a supporting plate, an endless conveyer carried upon the face of the plate and operating thereover and includinrra rotatable driving element, a driving shaft therefor adapted to have detachable driving engagement therewith, a power operated shaft having operative driving engagement with the said driving shaft, and means forsupporting the ID conveyor driving shaft and swinging it as a unit concentric-to the power operated shaft out ofvor into engagement with the driving carried upon the face of the plate and ,operelement on the conveyer.

9. A conveyer mechanism including a supporting plate, an endless donveyer carried upon the face of the plate and operating thereover including a rotatable driving element, a driving mechanism therefor including a structure, having a power operated at shaft, rigid links extending from and rotatabl e around the axisof the power operated shaft, a supporting frame pivotally mounted upon theextremities of the links,

a conveyei' drive shaft carried by the 1" mine.

and adapted to have detachable operative driving engagement with said rotatable element on the conve'yer, and power transmitting mechanism disposed between the drive shaft and said power operated shaft and connecting the power'o erated shaft with the conveyer drive sha t at all times, the links permitting the structure carrying the convey'er drive shaft to be rotated around the power operated shaft as a center into or out of driving association with said conveyer; 1

10. A conveying mechanism comprising a supporting plate, a pair of elongated endless conveyors carried upon the face of the plate and operating in a plane parallel thereto andeach including a rotatable element, an elevator into which said plate discharges and including a supporting frame, a power operated shaft extending transversely of the 59 frame and mounted thereon, a pair of links pivotally mounted on the power operated shaft for rotation therearound, a frame pivotally supported upon the extremities of the links, vertically disposed conveyer driv- .ing shafts 'operatively mounted juppn the frame and each adapted to have detachable drivingengagement with the rotatable element of the; corresponding conveyor, and power transmission mechanism operatively connecting the power driven shaft with the 55 ,tr ansmission mechanism having driving enconvey'er driving shafts at all times.

1.1. In a mechanism of the character described, a conveyer and means for driving it comprising a power shaft, a drive shaft,

gagement between'the power shaft and the conveyor drive shaft at all times,the conveyer drive shaft being supported in permanent relationto the power operated shaft and being movable into operative engagement or removable from operative engagement with the conveyer as a unit. y Y 12. In a mechanism of the character described, conveying mechanism including a supporting plate and an endless conveyor carried upon the face of the plate and operating thereover and including a rotatable element, and driving mechanism for the ro tatable element movable into or out of engagement therewith as a unit.

13. A conveyer mechanism including a supporting plate, a pair of endless conveyers ating in a plane parallel thereto and each including a rotatable element, an elevator, a second conveyor associated with-the first named con'veyer and upon which said plate discharges, a power operated shaft. associated with the second named conveyor and carrying a sprocket wheel, rigid links rotatably mounted upon opposite ends of said shaft, a supporting frame rotatably mounted upon the extremities of said links,'a longitudinal shaft carried thereby and having a sprocket wheel,'a sprocket chain operatively connecting said sprocket wheels on the power shaft' and last named shaft, tubular columns carried by said frame and extending" downward therefrom, and drive shafts disposed within said columns and projecting below the same and each having operative drivin engagement with the longitudinal sha mounted in said frame, said drive shafts being adapted to have detachable operative driving engagement with said rotatable ele- 1 ments.

'- 14. A conveyer comprising upper and lower elongated plates held in spaced relation to each other, a hollow member'eictending longitudinally between said plates, 1 sprocket wheel supporting. yokes disposed between said plates and having shanks .insertible into the ends of said hollow memher, one of said shanks having sliding engagement therewith, sprocket wheels parried 11; by said yokes and disposed between the plates, an endless chain having outwardly projecting blades and mounted upon the sprocket wheels, and means forr tightening the chain comprising screws operativel'y supported. between said plates and operatively engaging against one of said yokes to force the yoke longitudinally.

15. A' conveyor comprising upper and lower elongated plates held in s aced rela- 12 tion to each other, a hollow'mem er extending longitudinally between said plates, sprocket wheel supporting yokes disposed between said plates and having'shanks insertible into the ends of-said hollow mem- 130 her, one of said shanks havin sliding engagement therewith, sprocket w eels carried .by said yokes and disposed between the plates, an endless chain having outwardly projecting blades and mounted upon the sprocket wheels, means for tightening the chain comprising screws operatively su ported between said plates and operative y engaging against one of said yokes to force the yoke longitudinally, said upper and lower plates being slotted at one end, a retaining bolt passing through the slots and through the center of the corresponding sprocket wheel, and a washer bearing upon the face of one of said plates and against which the nut of said bolt bears.

16. In a conveyer, upper and lower plates,

-means spacing the plates from each other, a

longitudinally extending member having yokes at its ends disposed between said plates and held in rigid position relative thereto, sprocket wheels carried in said yokes adjacent the ends of the plates, an endless 18. A conveying mechanism of the char-.

'acter described comprising a supporting plate, a .pair of conveyers mounted upon the plate and each consisting of upper and lower elongated plates held in spaced relation to each other, yokes operatively supported be tween said plates adjacent the ends thereof, sprocket wheels mounted in said yokes, one

of said sprocket wheels having a many-sided socket extending entirely through it, the basev plate having an open-ended bearing attached at its under face coincident with the socket in said sprocket wheel, power operated means for driving said' conveyers comprising a supporting frame, a power operated shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, driving shafts extending downward from the frame and operatively geared to the power operated shaft and insertible'into said sockets and into the hearings in the base plate, and tubular members forming part of the frame and through which said shafts extend and adapted to rest upon the upper face of each upper conveyer plate.

19. A conveying mechanism of the character described comprising a supporting plate, a pair of conveyers mounted upon the plate and each consisting of upper and lower elongated plates'held in spaced relation to each other, yokes operatively supported between said plates adjacent the ends thereof, sprocket wheels mounted in said yokes, one of said sprocket wheels having a many-sided socket extending entirely through it, the base plate having an open-ended bearing attached at its under face coincident with the socket in said sprocket wheel, power operated means for driving said conveyers comprising a supporting frame including longitudinally extending members and transverse members having bearings, yokes connected to and extendin below the longitudinal members, said yokes supporting hollow, de

pending columns, a longitudinal power opera-ted shaft mounted in said bearings, vertical shafts mounted in said ,columns and operatively geared to the longitudinal shaft, said vertical shafts extending below the columns and being formed at their lower ends to have driving engagement with the sockets in said sprocket wheels and to extend into the bearings in the base plate.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my si FRANKLIN E. AR

ature. 

